Transposing-keyboard



(No Model.)

7 I A.MARGY.

TRANSPOSING KEYBOARD.

-N0.. 517,874. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

jAA EA/fU/K UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MAROY, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ELEVEN- TWENTIETHS TOJOSEPH HANAUER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

TRANSPOSlNG-KEYBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,874, dated April10, 1894.

Application filed April 13, 1893. Serial No. 470,160- CNo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MAROY, a commercial traveler, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in Toronto, in the county of York, in theProvince of Ontario, Canada, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Transposing Piano-Actions and Keyboard- Instruments; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and that the same has never been patented by myself or othersin this or any other country with my knowledge or consent.

My invention consists of making piano actions, key-boards and key-boardframes, for any of the various piano scales, so that when the key frameis unlocked, the key frame and keys, may be shifted for the purpose oftransposing the music, so as to render the music at any pitch of tonedesired, While playing the music in the scale, or key, as written.

The invention has for its object to provide simple, efficient, andinexpensive attachments to musical instruments, so that when the keyframe is unlocked, the action will be separated from the keys, and allowthe key frame, and keys, to shift right and left, and allow the keys tomove up and down, and not. come in contact with the lifts or actionstems, and when the key frame is locked, in any position it may havebeen adjusted, all parts of the key frame, keys, and the action, willresume their proper place, and be firmly held in their normal position.I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingsin which- Figure 1, represents a section of a piano action illustratingthe key-board frame locked, and the normal position of the parts whenconstructed according to my invention. Fig. 2, represents a crosssection of the same, and illustrating the key frame unlocked, with thelifts clear of the keys, preparatory to shifting the key frame and keys,and Fig. 3, represents a longitudinal section on the line AB of Fig. 1.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I provide action brackets, 1, resting on the casing, 2, back of theflange rail, 3, and stationary rail, 4, with a flat surface to receivethe flange rail, 3, and stationary rail, 4. The flange rail, 3, isjointed to the stationary rail, 4, with hinges, 5, the springs, 6, aresecured to the stationary rail, 4, at each end, outside of the action,and operates on the lower edge of the flange rail, 3, and holds it inits normal position, when the keyboard frame, 7, is locked Fig. 1, andwhen the key-board frame, 7, is unlocked Fig. 2, the springs, 6, allowthe flange rail, 3, to swing forward and raise the lifts, 8, off and infront of the key blocks, 9, and allow the keys, 10, to shift right andleft and move up and down, and not come in contact with the lifts oraction stems, 8, while the key-board frame, 7, is unlocked.

The felt, 11, on the key blocks, 9, assures noiseless action. Theretaining bar rods, 12, passing between the swings, 13, have a thread oneach end, the thread on one end secures them to the flange rail, 3, thethread on the other end provides means to adjust the retaining bar, 14.When the key-board frame, 7, is locked Fig. 1, the flange rail, 3, theswings, 13, and lifts, 8, must be free from the retaining bar, 14, sothey can have free action with the keys, 10. The regulating screws, 15,on the ends of the lifts, 8, have holes, 16, in them so they can be runup or down to adjust the length of the lifts, 8, the deflecting lifts,8,which is claimed in my transposing key-board Patent No. 461,616, datedOctober 20, 1891, provides means to have the lifts, 8, about equallyspaced from center to center at the lower end where they connect withthe keys, 10,

The swinging flange rail, 3, has a lever, 17, projecting below theflanges, 18, for the jack, 19, to work against and swing the flangerail, 3. The jack, 19, is secured under the casing, 2, the long endpassing up through the casing, 2, so as to work against the flange raillever, 17. I provide a stop rod, 20, which is secured to the jack, 19,in a flexible manner and is bedded in the casing, 2, under the keyboardframe, 7, and extends at least half an inch in front of the center barof the key-board frame, 7, when in its normal position The bladeprojecting up on the front end of the stop rod, 20, is an inch or morelong and half an inch or more in height so as to extend half frame, 7. Iprovide twelve notches, 21, on the under side of the front edge of thecenter bar of the key-board frame, 7, said notches, 21, are about halfthe depth of the bar. The notches, 21, correspond with the spacing ofthe lifts or action stems, S, the stop rod, 20, with the blade on thefront end is arranged so as to hold the key-board frame, 7, in anyposition it may have been adjusted. About half of the blade on the stoprod, 20, will be in front of the center bar of the key-board frame, 7,when in its normal position, and the other half of the blade will be inone of the notches, 21, in the bar and prevent the key-board frame, 7,from moving. Then adjusted the blade will be free from the keyboardframe, 7, the bar in the key-board frame, 7, will cover half of theblade when in its normal position and the other half will extend infrontof the bar and should be covered with a block, 26, so as to hold theblade firmly in position. The jack, 19, the jack rod, 22, leading to afoot pedal, the springs, 6, the action brackets, 1, the flange raillever, 17, and the retaining bar rods, 12, consist preferably of metal.

When the jack rod, 22, leading to a foot pedal is drawn down it deflectsthe jack, 19, forward and moves the stop rod, 20, forward and unlocksthe key-board frame, 7, swings the flange rail 3, forward, and raisesthe lifts or action stems, 8, off of the keys, 10, so the keys, 10, andthe key-board frame, 7, can be shifted right and left, and the keys, 10,moved up and down, and not come in contact with the lifts or actionstems, 8, while the keyboard frame, 7, is unlocked.

The stop rod, 20, is secured to the jack, 19, in a flexible manner whenthe jack rod, 22, leading to a foot pedal is drawn down it deflects theupper end of the jack, 19, forward and slides the stop rod, 20, forwardand frees it from the front edge of the center bar, 23, of the key-boardframe, 7, so the key-board can be shifted, when the action and keyboardare in their normal position the blade projecting upon the front end ofthe stop rod, 20, enters one of the twelve notches in the front edge ofthe center bar of the key-board frame and holds it firmly inits normalposition.

The lever, 24, has cogs in a circling form on the back end these cogsmesh in a rack secured to the back bar, 25, of the key-board frame, 7,by moving the front end of the lever 24, that is under the front edge ofthe piano casing, 2, the key-board and keys are moved right and left.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In piano actions, the combination of aswinging flange rail and a movable transposing key-board, for thepurposes set forth.

2. In piano actions, the combination of an ad j ustable retaining barbeneath the swings and a movable transposingkey-board, for the purposesset forth.

3. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail and an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swingsand secured to the swinging flange rail, and the springs secured to thestationary rail, for the purposes set forth.

4. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings andsecured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to thestationary rail, and the flanges secured to the said swinging flangerail, for the purposes set forth.

5. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings andsecured to the swinging flange rail, the'springs secured to thestationary rail, the flanges secured to thesaid swinging flange rail,and the swings connecting the said flanges with the lifts or actionstems, for the purposes set forth.

6. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings, andsecured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to thestationary rail, the flanges secured to the said swinging flange rail,the swings connecting the said flanges with the lifts or action stems,and the lifts or action stems with the lower ends where they connectwith the keys about equally spaced from center to center, for thepurposes set forth.

7. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail, anadjustable retaining bar beneath the swings andsecured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to thestationary rail, the flanges secured to thesaid swinging flange rail,the swings connecting the said flanges with the lifts or action stems,the lifts or action stems with the lower ends where they connect withthe keys about equally spaced from centerto center, and the regulatingscrews on the lower ends of the said lifts or action stems, for thepurposes set forth.

8. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings andsecured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to thestationary rail, the flanges secured to the said swinging flange rail,the swings connecting the said flanges with the lifts or action stems,the lifts or action stems with the lower ends where they connect withthe keys about equally spaced from center to center the regulatingscrews on the lower ends of the said lifts or action stems, and amovable transposing key-board, for the purposes set forth.

9. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings andsecured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to thestationary rail, and a jack secured to the casing, for the purposes setforth.

10. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings andsecured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to thestationary rail, a jack secured to the casing, and the jack rod leadingto a foot pedal, for the purposes set forth.

11. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings andsecured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to thestationary rail, a jack secured to the casing, the jack rod leading to afoot pedal, and a movable transposing key-board for the purposes setforth.

12. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointedto a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings andsecured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to thestationary rail, the action brackets resting on the casing back of thekeys, and back of the said stationary and swinging flange rail, and amovable transposing key-board, for the purposes set forth.

13. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail, anadjustable retaining bar, the springs, the flanges, the swings, thelifts or action stems deflected as shown the regulating screws, thejack, the jack rod, the action brackets resting on the casing back 3 5of the keys and back of the stationary and swinging flange rail, and amovable transposing key-board for the purposes set forth.

14. In pianos the combination of a swinging flangevrail, an adjustableretaining bar 40 beneath the swings, the lifts or action stems,deflected as shown so the lower endsof the lifts or action stems will beabout evenly spaced from center to center, and a movable tfransposingkey-board, for the purposes set orth.

15. In piano actions, the combination, of a stop rod with one endsecured in a flexible manner to the jack and the other end having anadjustable connection with a movable 5o tfaransposing key-board for thepurposes set orth;

16. In pianos the combination of a swinging flange rail, an adjustableretaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swing- 1 5 5 ingflange rail, the springs pressing against the said swinging flange rail,a jack secured to the casing, a stop rod with one end secured to thejack in a flexible manner and the other end having an adjustableconnection with the keyboard'frame, and a movable transposing key-boardfor the purposes set forth.

ALEXANDER MAROY.

Witnesses:

HARRY DIXON, W. J. GRAHAM.

